1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a reciprocating electric shaver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, for the purposes of higher shaving speed using multiple heads as well as finishing ability for shortly shaved beard, a combination of a roughly shaving blade and a finishing blade has been proposed. Such examples include a shaver having a slit-like blade placed at the centre and web-like blades at the outer sides.
In this regard, the slit blade introduces long or kinked beard and cuts such beard to be short. Thereafter, the web blades finish the shorted beard to become shorter.
However, slit blades generally have a high ability of introducing the beard, but the beard lying around the chin or the like impinges on bars formed between slits of a slit outer blade, then passes thereover. Therefore, there arises a problem in which such beard cannot be introduced into the slits. Furthermore, blade edges arranged at the side edges on the upper surface of the slit outer blade each must have more reduced curvature radius to more effectively introduce such lying beard. However, sharpened blade edge will largely stimulate to the skin, to thereby give an uncomfortable feeling to the skin.
Heretofore, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 40-16113 specification describes a proposed example having a structure in which a pair of slit blades are juxtaposed adjacent each other at the same level, the slit blades each having the upper surface thereof slant in a V shape with each blade edge down. Further, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 49-595 specification described another proposed example in which a slit blade having a structure wherein blade edges project beyond the outer edges on the upper surface of a slit outer blade has slant faces in the direction where the blade edges are down toward the outer edges of the blade edges from the vicinity of the blade edges on the upper surface thereof. Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 2,325,606 publication describes still another proposed example having a structure in which a slit outer blade is formed with a gently curved convexity over the upper surface, and each slit inner blade is slidable at the inside the upper surface of the slit outer blade and a blade edge portion.
However, with the structure proposed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 40-16113 specification, in which adjacent slit blades are juxtaposed at the same level the slit blades each having the upper surface thereof slant in a V shape with each blade edge down, the slit blades each having no horizontal upper surface when each slit blade is arranged between web blades are caused to be unstably contacted with the skin. In addition, the slit blades each is formed with a groove at the centre on the upper surface thereof, and the groove is formed with a projection on the side surface which is forcibly contacted with the skin. This gives an uncomfortable contact with the skin. Furthermore, the blade edge portion having each inner blade slidable does not substantially contact with the skin, while each inner blade is not slidable on the upper surface in the vicinity of the groove at the centre where the skin is contacted. In this connection, the effects of guiding and cutting the beard are low, so that the slit blades may not sufficiently function.
With such a structure proposed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 49-595 specification as described above, in which a slit blade is formed on the upper surface thereof with slant faces in the direction where the blade edges are down, the slit blades having no horizontal upper surfaces when each slit blade is arranged between web blades are caused to be unstably contacted with the skin. Then, each blade edge portion is forcibly contacted with the skin, giving an uncomfortable contact with the skin. Further, since each inner blade is slidable only on the slant faces, there occurs such a problem that the beard cannot be shortly shaved.
With such a structure proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,325,606, publication, in which a slit inner blade is slidable at the inside between the upper surface of the slit outer blade and the blade edge portion, the thickness in the vicinity of the blade edge on the upper surface of the slit outer blade is thinned, and the inner blade can be also slidable at the blade edge portion. Therefore, there is a problem in which the skin may be damaged by cutting.
In view of the foregoing conventional examples, the present invention has been made and an object of the present invention is to provide a reciprocating type electric shaver capable of guiding the beard and having reduced stimulation to the skin.